On April 17, 2019 Cell Medica, a leader in next-generation cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, reported that its collaborators from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital will be presenting the latest progress related to its innovative CAR therapy utilizing natural killer T cells (CAR-NKT) at the upcoming 22nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) April 29 – May 2 in Washington, D.C (Press release, Cell Medica, APR 17, 2019, View Source [SID1234535168]).

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Chris Nowers, Cell Medica’s CEO, said: "Our next-generation CAR-NKT platform combines the unique natural antitumor properties of NKT cells with innovative CAR constructs, enabling the possibility of producing multiple highly tumor-specific therapeutic products. We believe this approach could open up the broad potential of NKT cells to serve as a basis for off-the-shelf cell therapies targeting both solid and hematological tumors. We look forward to the important new updates that our collaborators at Baylor and Texas Children’s Hospital will be sharing at ASGCT (Free ASGCT Whitepaper)."

Details of the three oral presentations:

Harnessing Natural and Engineered Properties of iNKT Cells for Adoptive Cancer Immunotherapy
Presenter: Dr. Leonid Metelitsa, Professor of Pediatrics, Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine
Session Title: NK cells Versus iNKT cells (Education Session)
Session Date/Time: Monday Apr 29, 2019 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Presentation Time: 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Room: Georgetown

NKT Cells Co-expressing a GD2-specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor and IL-15 Show Enhanced In Vivo Persistence and Antitumor Activity Against Neuroblastoma
Presenter: Dr. Andras Heczey, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine
Session Title: Oral Abstract Session V
Session Date/Time: Tuesday Apr 30, 2019 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Presentation Time: 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM
Final abstract number: 367
Room: Heights Courtyard 3

Development of an Allogeneic Universally Tolerated NKT Cell Platform for Off-the-Shelf Cancer Immunotherapy
Presenter: Dr. Leonid Metelitsa, Professor of Pediatrics, Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine
Session title: Cancer Gene Therapy
Session Date/Time: Wednesday May 1, 2019 3:45 PM – 5:30 PM
Presentation Time: 5:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Final abstract number: 682
Room: Monroe

The full abstracts can be accessed at: View Source

– ENDS –

Notes to Editors

About ASGCT (Free ASGCT Whitepaper)

The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) Annual Meeting provides an international forum where the latest gene and cell therapy developments are presented and critically discussed. As the leading American conference focusing solely on gene and cell therapy, ASGCT (Free ASGCT Whitepaper)’s annual meeting brings together more than 3,400 professionals including scientists, physicians, and patient advocates.

Find out more at: View Source

Media registration is open at: View Source

About GINAKIT2

GINAKIT2 is a first-in-human, dose escalation evaluation of CMD-501 in children with relapsed or refractory (R/R) high risk neuroblastoma (NCT03294954). Neuroblastomas occur primarily in children and account for 7-10 percent of all pediatric cancers. Ninety percent of patients are younger than 5 years at diagnosis. R/R high risk neuroblastoma is one of the deadliest types of childhood cancer and the current median survival is around 1-3 years. Almost all neuroblastomas express GD2, which is targeted by CMD-501. This study is supported by a grant from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), awarded to Baylor College of Medicine investigators, Drs. Heczey and Metelitsa.